Bickert, Norton lead South Shore skiers

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The Vikings had already secured first place so technically this was just for fun.

"We secured the Basin in the last race," South Tahoe coach Mike Shreve said. "We would have to not show up at this point and we would still win by one point in the total basin standings."

But South Tahoe still scorched the snow with speedy times Wednesday, Feb. 6 at Diamond Peak Ski Resort. The Vikings won the team combined (boys and girls) with a total score of 401 points. Truckee was second overall with 390 points and North Tahoe third with 361. Whittell took fourth overall with 313 points.

South Shore skiers also took first in both the boys and girls races.

Leading the boys was Whittell's Hughston Norton, who posted a combined 1:06. It was a second faster than Truckee's Patrick Romano 1:06 and Scotty Lebel 1:06, who took second and third respectively.

South Tahoe's Alec Jobbins was right on their heels, flying in for fourth (1:07.7). Right behind Jobbins were teammates Connor McKeen (5th, 1:09.7), Chad Kaassamani (7th, 1:11.4) and Austin Allen (9th, 1:12.0).

As of Monday, McKeen was ranked No. 1 among boys in the league with Kaassamani ranked No. 2.

The Truckee boys took the team win with 209 points to second-place South Tahoe's 203 points. North Tahoe's boys were third with 172 points and were followed by Whittell (159), Douglas (120), Carson (95) and Incline (46).

In the girls' race, South Tahoe's Maia Bickert captured the win - her fourth of the season - just ahead of North Tahoe's Jessica Tidd. Both finished in 1:08, but Bickert was less than a tenth of a second quicker.

"I expected her to be ducking it out a little more with a couple girls on the North Shore, but she's been able to keep distance on them in every race," Shreve said.

Mikaela Clothier, who has emerged at one of the Vikings most consistent racers, was right on Bickert's heels. She blazed through both of her runs for a combine third-place finish (1:08.4).

Katie Sears in ninth (1.13.3) rounded out the top South Tahoe times.

Michael Gardner led the lady Warriors to fourth place with her eighth-place finish (1:12.3). Teammate Danica Bunnett (13th, 1:15.6) turned in her usual top performance.

Bolstered by Bickert's win and two top-three finishes, the South Tahoe girls took the team win with 198 points to runner-up North Tahoe's 189 and third-place Truckee's 181. Whittell's girls were fourth with 154 points, followed by Incline (145), Douglas (132) and Carson (66).

South Tahoe and Whittell hit the slopes again Tuesday at Heavenly. For results and pictures check the Friday edition of the Tahoe Daily Tribune.